In pediatric cardiology, z-scores are commonly used to determine how a patient's heart measures in relation to a population mean. Z-scores are a measure of a distance of a patient's measurements in standard deviations of a sample from a mean. Pediatric cardiologists create many z-scores around the heart and plot those values against a mean of the population to determine abnormalities. Exemplary z-scores include: End Diastolic Diameter (EDD) vs. Time, Aortic Annulus Diameter (AAD) vs. Body Surface Area (BSA), Fractional Shortening vs. Time and Wall Thickness vs. Time. Graphs that plot the patient's measurements in the form of z-scores against a mean of the population are used to diagnose the patient.
Currently, most pediatric cardiology z-scores are graphed manually. Integrated computerized graphing systems do not provide the access to patient data, such as a patient's electronic medical record (EMR), when graphing patient z-scores. Furthermore, the electronic z-score graphs do not allow the patient's cardiology z-score data to be filtered according to user preference. These z-score graphs only display data for one particular procedure and do not have the capability to display more than one z-score graph side by side, e.g. EDD vs. Time and ADD vs. BSA simultaneously. Nor do the electronic z-score graphs have the capability to display current and previously calculated z-scores for a patient. These electronic z-score graphs also do not allow for a patient's z-score graph to be displayed at the same time a user is documenting a current procedure.